Big Names Will Compete at Stanford Grand Prix

PALO ALTO, Calif., May 17. SOME of the biggest names in the sport will compete this weekend at the Avery Aquatic Center during the Stanford Grand Prix, the first major tuneup for this summer’s World Championships in Montreal.

The three-day competition runs from Friday through Sunday, and will be highlighted by the presence of Michael Phelps and Natalie Coughlin. Phelps is entered in six events, the 100 and 400 freestyles, the 200 butterfly, the 100 and 200 backstrokes and the 400 individual medley. Coughlin will miss Friday’s slate while graduating from the University of California.

In the breaststroke events, Tara Kirk and Megan Jendrick are set to duel. At the World Champs Trials, Kirk won the 100 and 200 distances while Jendrick was third in the 100 and fourth in the 200. Kate Ziegler will highlight the distance events and Mary DeScenza is scheduled to swim a multi-event program.

Klete Keller and Phelps are likely to square off in the 400 free and Duje Draganja will face Phelps in the 100 free. Draganja, the silver medalist in Athens in the 50 freestyle, will also contest the 50 free and 100 butterfly.